PRIEST RIVER — The city is continuing to make progress on its plans to turn the former Joslyn Pole Yard property into a showcase park southeast of downtown Priest River.

The latest design draft for Two Rivers Park was presented to the Priest River City Council on Tuesday, Feb. 17, by Nelson Erickson of StanCraft Companies.

While no action was taken at the workshop, Priest River Mayor Jeff Connolly said the park is getting closer all the time to becoming reality.

"We're to a point where this probably is the final feel, given this is what we're going to do," Connolly told the council of the draft plan presented at the meeting.

A former industrial site, the 38.4-acre wooded parcel southeast of downtown Priest River was rehabilitated by the landowner in 2018 and gifted to the city in 2022.

The park would be completed in phases, with current discussions on possible dock layouts, with fixed pier docks likely in the initial phase. Later, a floating element could be added as the park is built out.

The latest iteration of the plan keeps frontage parking for the marina to speed loading and unloading. Nearby are a cantina space and spots for local food trucks. It also features an expanded playground and beach element, both of which are tied into a 5-acre green space.

Erickson said crews are now working on positioning pickleball and basketball courts and ensuring all of the park's components fit with each other. In the latest plan, the park features almost an acre of beaches and draws inspiration from Indian Creek Campground at Priest Lake State Park.

"Kids are everywhere, screaming and laughing and in the water and having fun," Erickson said of the Priest Lake park. "I think the way the beaches are laid out, to have a protected one for younger children tied back into the marina and then the other one more exposed, I think in our opinion, is awesome."

Small cabins have been proposed — an idea that has attracted a lot of interest and support. A cluster of camping spots is also planned to increase the options for individuals looking to spend time at the park.

The park would have almost three dozen spots for truck and trailer parking as well as ample vehicle parking. It would start with 60 boat slips that could expand to 182 as the various phases of the park are built out, Erickson told councilors Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Plans also call for a fueling station, a ship store with fuel services and a cantina space for those visiting the park, a nine-hole frisbee golf course, an amphitheater and a number of bathroom facilities scattered throughout the facility.

Piers have been added near the park's wetland areas, allowing for an educational landing pad and a spot for people to enjoy that aspect of the park, Erickson said.

The park's RV sites were shifted "down a ways" and now allow for multiple vehicles for a better experience if site guests have family stopping by for a visit.

"If you look at some of the better-managed or better-run RV parks, they have a tendency to allow for the wife's vehicle to park up front, or a grandparent, or whoever that is that's tied into the site so they don't have to park so far away," Erickson told the council. "It allows them to use the site a little bit better and keep vehicles off the road."

Also, a lower section of the park was revamped to integrate trail systems. In the latest plan, Erickson said Two Rivers Park will feature over a mile of trails, with StanCraft crews working on the best layout and connection between the different trail segments and aspects of the park.

A master plan on what was then called Joslyn Park was completed in April 2023, with Priest River officials working toward the park's completion since then. In total, bringing Two Rivers Park to life with all the amenities envisioned by organizers will cost an estimated $21 million.

With limited city funds available for the park, project leaders are likely to pursue grants and gifts; the property’s many plant and wildlife conservation opportunities and half-mile proximity to downtown make it a strong candidate for federal, state and private money.

As organizers make decisions regarding amenities going forward, self-sufficiency and sustainability will continue to be guiding values.

City officials are working with StanCraft on construction of the marina and RV park to generate revenue and support maintenance costs as long as the property is used by the community.